Rimutaka Incline
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The Rimutaka Incline was a 3-mile (5-km) stretch of 3 ft 6 in (1067 mm) gauge railway line at a grade of 1 in 15 between Summit and Cross Creek on the original Wairarapa railway line from Wellington to Masterton in New Zealand. Because of financial constraints, between Upper Hutt and Featherston the railway followed steep gradients to descend the eastern slope of the Rimutaka Ranges. The Fell centre-rail system was selected to enable trains to traverse the incline, and they were hauled by up to five of the six specially-built H class Fell steam locomotives or braked on the descent by these locomotives and a similar number of Fell brake vans.
Construction of the Rimutaka railway tunnel and deviation to replace the incline began in the late 1940s. On 30 October 1955 the incline and 34 km of associated track closed, and the new line opened on 3 November.
The old line was dismantled and H 200-204 were scrapped. Sole survivor H 199 was donated to the neighbouring Borough of Featherston, and placed on static display in a public park. The Fell Engine Museum was formed in the 1980s to preserve, restore and properly display this historic exhibit and other incline artefacts. The Rimutaka Rail Trail was established on the formation of the incline and adjacent stretches of the former Wairarapa Line.
In 2003 the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust was formed with the objective of reinstating a heritage railway on the abandoned formation and its access routes. Many challenges face this project, including formation rehabilitation, diversion of the rail trail, tracklaying, and construction of new Fell locomotives. The first piece of track was ceremonially laid at Maymorn, near Upper Hutt, on 29 October 2005, 50 years to the day after the last train went up the incline.
